I remember missing the call early that morning.

It was in sixth grade sometime during the school week and I was at my mom’s house, which at that time was approximately an hour from the center of Wichita.

I was at a point in my life where even when I got a message, I didn’t always notice it, let alone answer it right away. With that being said, even though my aunt had called me closer to 6 that morning, I didn’t get her message until well after I got off of school that afternoon.

But once I did, I was eager to head up to the hospital right away. My excitement seemed to plague all my waking thoughts, until it seemed as though I might explode if it didn’t happen right at that moment. But, alas, I had to wait.

I waited and waited and waited until my mother deciphered it a well enough time to pause what she was doing and get ready for the day.

As she was getting ready, I could feel the anticipation of what I was about to witness build up and up until it just felt like a wall blocking me from being able to function normally.

Once she decided we could finally leave the house, we packed up the car and headed into town.

But before we could make it to our final destination, we had to make a pit stop first. We stopped in at the closest target to grab a gift fit for the occasion. We spent well over an hour searching the building for the perfect gift, finally settling a tiny pink tutu and a cute little onesie to match and headed up to the register to check out.

After we had checked out, we left the store and headed on our way.

Once we made it to our destination, we stopped at the front desk and asked the lady for the correct room number to look in.

We looked down what felt like dozens of hallways searching for an elevator. Once we finally found our way into one, we pressed the button for the correct level we needed to head to.

Once we made it to the correct level, we floundered around the endless halls, searching for the room that would change my life as I know it.

I paused staring at a closed door, taking in a deep breath before standing up straight and tall and pushing the door open to reveal a cluster of people.

I walked into the room, a smile from eye to eye and the present squeezed tightly into my hand, leaving lines across the fronts of my fingers from the straps of the bag.

Once I made my way past the curtain separating the two halves of the room, I saw her.

She was wrapped up in a pretty pink blanket, wearing a teeny tiny little hat and looking around the room with her big blue eyes.

She was my sister. Well, my half-sister, but it’s the connection that counts.

She’s first sibling I’ve ever had. And my future best friend.

Her name is Avery.